Cut-out and joint therefor



Dec. 21, 19370 B|RKENMA|ER 2,103,056

CUT-OUT AND JOINT THEREFOR Filed 001:. l, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 21, 1937.

T. BIRKENMAIER 2,103,056

CUT-OUT AND JOINT THEREFOR Filed Oct. 1, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG 3 3 Patented Dec. 21, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CUT-OUT AND JOINT THEREFOR corporation of Missouri Application October 1, 1936, Serial No. 103,523

7 Claims.

This invention relates to cutouts, and with regard to certain more specific features, to fuse cutouts for direct application to line wires and the like.

This invention is an improvement upon the apparatus shown in the application of Theodore Birkenmaier, Serial No. 46,494, filed October 24, 1935, for Cutout. Among the several objects of the invention may be noted the provision of a fuse holder which may easily be applied to and removed from a hanger but which, upon normal explosive or analogous operation, will not automatically become removed from said hanger nor fall therefrom; and the provision of apparatus of the class described which is simple in form and operation. Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the elements and combinations of elements, features of 90 construction, and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the structures hereinafter described, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which is illustrated one of various possible embodiments of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the cutout showing the method of applying a fuse holder to its hanger;

Fig. 2 is a right end elevation of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the hanger alone;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a lateral section taken along line 55 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. l but on a reduced scale and showing the fuse holder in final position within its hanger; and,

40 Fig. '7 is a View similar to Fig. 6 showing the process of removing the fuse holder from its hanger.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of 45 the drawings.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 1, there is shown at numeral I a line wire from which it is desired to suspend the cutout of the present invention. The cutout is made in two parts,

50 namely, a hanger H and a fuse holder F. The fuse holder F is manipulated by means of a linemans stick S.

The hanger I-I comprises the c-frame 3 through one side of which is threaded a screw 5. The

55 rear end of said screw is provided with a head 1 having a gudgeon 9 adapted to be engaged by the slotted end ll of the said stick S. The screw 5 controls a clamp l3 which, with the upper end of the c-frame grips the wire I to hold the hanger H on said wire.

The lower end of the C-frame 3 has a depending extension 15 carrying at its bottom a socket ll. From the socket extend flaring guide fingers l9.

Pivoted at the upper end of the extensions I5 10 is a latch 2i which is normallybiased by a spring 23 (Fig. 4) to a latching position above said socket IT. The amount of bias given to the latch 2i by the spring 23 is limited by a T-shaped extension 25 (Fig. 5) which extends through a 5 slot 21 in the member 15. Thus the latch 2| is normally pressed to the right (Figures 1, 4, and 6). When the latch 2| is in its biased position (Figures 4 and 6), it obstructs the outlet from the socket H, but when not biased by the spring 23 as shown in Fig. '7, it does not obstruct the outlet.

The fuse carrier comprises an upper contact 29 having a screw cap 3| for fastening the upper end of a fuse link 33. The contact 29 has formed therewith an eye with which cooperates a lug 3'! of said head ll of the stick S. The purpose of this cooperation is to mount the fuse support on the end of the linemans stick for application and removal to and from the hold- 30 er H.

From the lower end of the contact 29 extends an insulating tube 38, the latter passing through and being held to a lower contact 39. The fuse link 33 extends out from the open lower end of the tube 38 and is held by a spring member 4| which is attached to the lower contact 39, as at 43. A wire holding connector 45 also forms part of the lower contact 39. The character of the spring member M has already been described in 40 my Patent 1,935,386, dated November 14, 1933. Its purpose is to withdraw and drop the lower end of the fuse 33, after the fuse blows at its upper reduced portion 41.

At the upper end of the contact 29 is a metallic extension 49 which carries a ball 5| adapted to snugly fit into the socket I1 and having formed adjacent its end on one side a flat fin 53. This fin 53 extends around the ball and down to the upper contact 29 and carries an extending portion 55.

The operation of the device is as follows:

The lineman initially and permanently applies the holding clamp H to the wire I as shown in Figures 1 and 2 and tightens the screw 5.

After having placed a fuse in the fuse holder and thus having put the spring 4| into bowed tension (Fig. 1), he fastens connector 45 to slack wire 46. Next he applies the lug 37 of the stick S to the eye 35 as shown. By this means he can lift the fuse support upwardly so as to move the ball 5| approximately along the line of the curved arrow shown in Fig. l. The extension GEE-under these conditions moves in between the guiding fingers 9, the portion 55 functioning as a rudder to keep the ball 5| directed forwardly. V

As the ball 5| gravitates toward the socket II,

it engages the lug 5? on the lower end of the latch 2| and forces the latch aside against the bias of the spring 23. The parts then assume the position shown in Fig. 6 wherein the ball 5| is seated in the socket l1 and the latch 2| has sprung back under bias of the spring 23 to trap the ball in its socket. The linemans stick S may be pulled down as shown in Fig. 6 to firmly seat the ball 5| and may then be removed from the eye 35. The fuse 33 is then in circuit. The wire is of a length now to be straightened out with enough slack to permit of the movement of the ball 5| to and from the socket l1 and to permit the movement illustrated in Fig. 7 (to be further described below).

If the fuse blows, as under heavy overload, the'engen'dered gases are projected expulsively from the lower end of the tube 31, thus causing a reaction along'the center line of the cartridge. Hence the fuse holder F as a whole tends to move upwardly. The tendency of ball 5| to move out from theseat l is resisted by the then shut latch In order to remove the fuse holder, the linemans' stick S is reapplied as shown at Fig. '7

and the fuse holder pushed upwardly as indicated.

Inasmuch as the upward motion of the ball 5| is resisted by the latch 2|, there is a tendency to rotate the fuse holder as indicated in Fig. '7. The length of the wire 46 is such as to permit this rotation.

The rotation causes the fin 53 to come into contact with the lower lug 5'! of the latch 2| to push it aside. This contact also causes a fulcruming ofrthe fuse holder to occur at the lug 51, whereupon the ball is automatically pushed out by the return biasing action of the latch. After complete removal of the fuse holder, the latch 2| is back in the position shown in Fig. l, readyfor the application of another or the same re-fused holder.

Among the advantages of the invention may be noted the following:'

(1) The fuse holder is easily separable from the clamp H and therefore the clamping action need not be resorted to in applying and removing new fuses.

(2) The loaded fuse holder (connected to one wire at connector 45) is quite easily applied to the clamp merely by placing it on the end of the tomatic ejection of, the ball from the socket. This, is done without violent action so that the fuse in connection with the guides I9 prevents the fuse holder from swiveling more than a limited amount and insures that even a merely approximately proper position of application of the holder will result in its finding an ultimately V proper seated position. I

The device has various applications, including use on lightning arresters and transformer connections wherequick and easy removal (without the necessity for removing the wire clamp) is important.

In View of the above, it will be seen that the several objects ofthe invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

'As'many changes could be made in carrying out the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description orshown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim: v

1. Acutout comprising a clamp adapted to be permanently attached to a line wire, a depending socket on said clamp, a latch associated with said socket, a fuse holder, a fuse therein, a ball' extending from-said fuse holder and adapted to be engaged with said socket, said latch automatically locking said ball into the socket against normal reaction due to blowing of a fuse in the; fuse holder, and means asso ciated with said balladapted to move the latch to releasing position Whensaid ball is rotated as ball extending from said fuse holder and adapted to be engaged in saidsocket, said latch-automatically locking said ball in the socket against normal reaction due to blowing of a fuse in the fuse holder, and means associated with said ball adapted to move-the latch to releasing position when said ball is rotated as by pushing on the fuse holder'with' a linemans stickfflaring guide means extending from said socket, and means associated with said fuse holder-adapted to coact with said guide means when the ball is applied to the socket to properly position the fuse holder.

3. A cutout comprising a line wire clamp, 2. depending socket, a latch comprising a lever pivoted above the socket and swinging thereacross, means biasing said lever to latching position over the socket, a fuse holder having a circular portion adapted to engage said socket, said circular portion temporarily deflecting said lever against its bias as the portion moves towards the socket, a lug on said lever adjacent said circular portion, and an extension on the circular portion adapted to engage said lug upon rotation of the circular portion by a manual push on the fuse holder, whereby said lever is moved to a position to permit removal of the circular portion under the fulcruming action of said extension on said lug,

4. A cutout comprising a line.wire clamp, a

depending socket, a latch comprising a lever pivoted above the socket and swinging thereacross, means biasing said lever' to latching position over the socket, means limiting said bias, a fuseholder having a ball adapted to engage said socket, said ball temporarily deflecting said lever against its bias as the ball moves towards the socket, a lock on said lever adjacent the ball, and an extension on the ball adapted to engage said lever upon rotation of the ball by a manual push on the fuse holder, whereby said lever is moved to a position to permit removal of the ball, said ball being removed under the fulcruming action of said extension on said lug and by the biasing return action of said lever.

5. A joint comprising a socket, a latch pivoted above the socket comprising a lever swinging thereacross, a member adapted to be applied to the socket and to push said lever aside during application, and an extension on the member adapted to engage the latch upon rotation to thrust aside the latch to permit outward movement of the member from the socket.

6. A joint comprising a socket, a latch pivoted above the socket comprising a lever swinging thereacross, a member adapted to be applied to the socket and to push said lever aside during application, and an extension on the member adapted to engage the latch upon rotation to thrust aside the latch to permit outward movement of the member from the socket, biasing means for the lever normally moving it to latching position, and fulcruming means between the lever and said member whereby said member may be moved toward a position when the lever is thrust aside wherein the bias of the lever will automatically further thrust said member away from the socket.

7. A joint comprising a member having a socket, a latch pivoted above the socket comprising a lever swinging thereacross, a ball adapted to be applied to the socket and to push said lever aside during application, and a fin on the ball adapted to engage the latch upon rotation of the ball to move the latch to permit outward movement of the ball from the socket, a lug on the end of the lever adapted to fulcrum said fin as the ball is rotated, whereby the ball is fulcrumed from the socket when the latch is in clearing position, and guides adjacent said socket cooperating with the fin.

THEODORE BIRKENMAIER. 

